Illinois nuclear plant shut down over power issue

January 31, 2012 by legitgov

Illinois nuclear plant shut down over power issue 30 Jan 2012 A nuclear reactor at a northern Illinois plant shut down Monday after losing power, and [radioactive] steam was being vented to reduce pressure, according to officials from Exelon Nuclear and federal regulators. Unit 2 at Byron Generating Station, about 95 miles northwest of Chicago, shut down at 10:18 a.m., after losing power, Exelon officials said. Diesel generators began supplying power to the plant, and operators began releasing steam to cool the reactor from the part of the plant where turbines are producing electricity, not from within the nuclear reactor itself, officials said.